Apparatus for charging batteries.



No.-69|,l44. Patented Ian. M, I902.

M. R. HUTCHISUN. APPARATUS FOR CHARGING BATTERIES.

(Application filed July 19, 1901.)

(No Model'.)

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILLER REESE HUTOHISON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AKOUPHONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING BATTERIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,144, dated January 14, 1902. Application filed July 19, 1901. Serial No. 68,918- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 1 sockets or fixtures. Now it is obvious that Be it known thatI, MILLER REESE HUTOH- if a simple charging-cord were used which ISON, a citizen of the United States, residing carried the ordinary plug for connection with at the city of New York, in the borough of the fixture at one end and a single block with 5 Manhattan and State of New York, have inthe male and female terminals described at vented certain new and useful Improvements the other end the battery could only be in Apparatus for Charging Batteries, of which charged when the current was flowing in one the following is a full, clear, and exact dedirection, for it is obvious that the male and scription. female terminals could only be adjusted to 10 This invention relates to apparatus foraidthe corresponding battery-terminals in one ing in the charging of secondary batteries, way, a reversal not being possible. I therewhich I have specifically termed a chargfore provide a charging-cord having at one ing-cord. It is intended to be interposed beend an ordinary plug for connection with the tween the batteryand asource of electricity, current-outlet and at the other end having I 5 such as a wall-socket or other fixture. The two of the said blocks, each carrying male :35 device is to be used in connection with cerand female terminals, with the male terminal tai-n telephonic apparatus used by deaf perof one block and the female terminal of the sons as an aid to hearing,.such apparatusbeother connected to one side of the circuit,

ing electrical and provided at various points while the other two terminals are connected 20 with a specific type of electrical connector, to the other side of the circuit. Thus after so that all of the parts can be interconnected first ascertaining the polarity of the current quickly. It is necessary that the said chargthe proper terminal can be adjusted to the ing-cord of the present invention should be battery and the charging accomplished. In

equipped with the same kind of connectors order to ascertain the polarity of the current,

25 to be applicable to the general system of ap- I use an ordinary simple form of polarity-inparatus. This connector in general consists dicator, which will hereinafter be referred to.

g of a block of such shape as to be conveniently In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is M grasped in the fingers and provided with a an illustration of myimproved charging-cord.

' metallic pin and a metallic socket constitut- Fig. 2isaview of an ordinary form of polarityo ing male and female electric terminals. This indicator, and Fig. 3 indicates convention- 8o device is to be used in conjunction with anally the storage battery and its predetermined other of the same character, the two together form of connector. constituting the complete connector and As before described, the connector used adapted to be connected by inserting the throughout my system of apparatus consists 5 male terminal of one block into the female of a block, (indicated in the several figures by:

terminal of the other block. the letter a.) This block is of insulating ma- The storage battery,'which constitutes a terial and carries a female metallic sleeve or part of the said apparatus used by deaf persocket a and a metal pin a constituting male sons, is fitted with one of these blocks havand female parts. These connecting devices a 4o ing the male and female terminals, so that it are all duplicates of each other, and it will can be readily connected with the charging be seen that any two of them can be con and dischargingcircuits. I11 chargingastornected together to constitute a double poleage battery it is necessary to connect the connector. The storage batteryAis provided charging-circuit therewith in such a way as with one of these connectors, which in prac 45 to send the current through the battery in tice is mechanically fastened to some portion 5 the proper direction for charging, and such of the containing vessel, but which is here batteries being commonly charged from an shown separate and merely connected with incandescent lamp or from a wall-receptacle the battery by circuit-wires l and 2. there is ordinarily no means of ascertaining B is an ordinary form of polarity-indicator,

soothe polarity of the currenttaken from such consisting or a short glass tube 19, containing a liquid adapted to be discolored by the passage of current and having a pair of electric terminals located at the ends, between which the current is to be directed through the liquid. This indicator is also connected with one of my connectors at, having usual male and female terminals.

The device constituting the particular feature of my invention consists of the chargingcord 0. This is provided at one end with an ordinary plug 0 for connection with a currentoutlet. As shown, this plug is provided with an external screw-thread c and a center contact 0, adapted to engage with corresponding terminals at the outlet;but any other form of plug to correspond with the terminals at thewoutlet may be used. From each of these contacts a flexible insulated conductor e and 6, respectively, leads. These conductors will ordinarily be twisted together and of suitable lengths. At the other end both of said conductors branch into two parts, the branches of conductor ebeing indicated byfand g, and the branches of 6 being indicated by g and f. To the outer end of the cord are attached two of the connectors a, the female terminal of one being connected to the branchfand the male terminal to the branch f, while the female terminal of the other is connected with the branch g and the mate with g. Thus in each of the blocks a one of the terminals is positive, while the other is negative; but in one case the positive terminal is the male,

while in the other it is the female.

As it is essential in charging some batteries from circuits carrying the usual high commercial voltages to introduce a resistance in series with the battery, I connect with one conductor of my charging-coil an ordinary incandescent-lamp socket 1, into which a lamp may be adjusted during the charging operation; but this is not an essential feature of my invention, inasmuch as the same results can be obtained by the use of tap-sockets or other appliances.

It will be seen that when one of the connectors attached to the cord 0 is adjusted to the battery-connector, while the plug 0 is inserted in the current-outlet, a current of acer- 5o tain polarity will be sent through the battery,

while if the other connector attached to the cord is inserted in the battery-connector a cur- 1rent of the opposite polarity will flow through the battery from the same current-outlet.

6o indicator.

Hence as there is no way ordinarily provided to ascertain the polarity of the current at the current-outlet I utilize the polarity-indicator B. I first insert one of the connectors attached to cord 0 into the connector on the If the result is to turn the liquid red adjacent to a certain one of the electrodes in the tube, then that indicator is the proper one to use on the battery, and it can be inserted in the battery-connector at once and the charging accomplished; but if the particular connector used happens to turn the liquid red around the other electrode in the tube it will be known at once that that connector should not be used in charging the battery. It the insertion at one of the connectors on the cord 0 turns both ends of the tube red, it is an indication that the current is alternating and should not be used at all for charging. It will therefore be seen that with a charging device of this character an unskilled person who finds it necessary to use the apparatus I have hereinbefore referred to will have no difficulty in charging the battery himself, it being necessary only to educate him in the use of the polarity-indicator.

Obviously the branches f f and g 9' may commence directly at the plug 0; but for economical reasons it is better to branch the main cord near the outer end, Where the connectors are attached.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. An electrical-device consisting of a pair of conductors adapted to form the positive and negative sides of a circuit, in combination with two connectors each having a positive and a negative terminal respectively connected with said two conductors.

2. An electrical device consisting of a pair of conductors adapted to form the positive and negative sides of a circuit, in combination with two connectors each having male and female terminals connected respectively with the two conductors.

3. An electrical device consisting of a pair of conductors adapted to form the positive and negative sides of a circuit, and mechanically connected to form a flexible cord, said cord having at one end a device for connection tov a source of electricity and at the other end, two connectors each having two terminals in character didering from each other but being the same on each connector and a different terminal of the other connector being connected with one of said conductors while the other two terminals are connected with the other conductor, substantially as described.

4. An electrical device consistingof a pair of conductors adapted to form the positive and negative sides of a circuit, in combination with two connectors each having a male and a female terminah the male terminal of one and the female terminal of the other being connected to one of said conductors, and the other two terminals being connected to the other conductor, substantially as de scribed.

5. The combination of two mechanicallyjoined connectors of like character, each having two terminals of difierent form, and means for connecting them with a current outlet or source, for the purpose set forth.

6. An article of manufacture, consisting of a flexible cord composed of two conductors, a circuit-connecting plug at one end, two connectors each having two terminals at the other end and a iain'p-socket connected in seminal of the other connector being attached ries in one of the conductors, substantially to one of said conductors while the other two as described. terminals are connected with the other con- ?7. The combination of a battery having a dnctor. x5 5 connector provided with two terminals of dif In witness whereof I subscribe my signafering character, a polarity-indicator having ture in presence of two witnesses. a similar connector and a char ing-cord for the battery consisting of two corTductors and I MILLER REESE HUTCHISON' two connectors each similar to the other com Witnesses: 1o nectors and adapted to fit the same, the ter- WALDO M. OHAPIN, minal of one connector and a different ter-- FRANK S. OBER. 

